If Jesus spoke to you in 2010 the way he spoke to people in his day, you would either love or hate him. It would be difficult to remain neutral if you came close to him. You would need to make a decision – follow his way or dismiss him as a cult leader.
Though revered by most religions as a great teacher, he will make all human religions squirm if they take him seriously. He defies our religious nature and understanding of all things sacred. Just when you think you have GOD figured out, Jesus will say something that blurs the rigid distinctions of dogma.
He entered the world in a specific context. He was born into Judaism, a religion with a distinct heritage and understanding of being chosen by GOD. It was a religion which understood that Jehovah demanded a passionate faithfulness to Himself. There were no other gods beside Him.
Jesus went so far as to command his followers to seek out people and convert them to his way. He taught and believed that GOD requires us to believe very specifically in Jesus as the unique gateway to God’s Kingdom.
Historically in the New Testament, the word proselyte denoted a person who had converted to Judaism. Though the word proselytism originally referred to Christianity, it is also used to refer to other religions’ attempts to convert people to their beliefs or even any attempt to convert people to another point of view, religious or not. Today, the connotations of the proselytizing are often negative and it is commonly used to describe attempts to force people to convert. It is perceived as rude, intrusive and even a violation of one’s civil rights to be a member of a certain religion.[i]
If you want to offend the sensibilities of your neighbours, start talking to them about conversion. Immediately, some will paint a caricature of the Crusades, cults and guilt-ridden sales techniques to obligate people to say a prayer to save themselves from hell.
So much of our lives are wasted battling against imaginary caricatures and perceived threats. Christian people are no different in this regard. We are quick to name the people, belief systems and values that challenge our sense of being right about everything.
[i] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proselytism
